


orders

by orphan_account



Series: July Prompts [2]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Hurt No Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:08:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25042924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: CT-5385 feels nothing.He levels his blaster at the traitor, ignores the call of a name that’s not his own, and fires.Good soldiers follow orders.
Relationships: CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555/CT-5385 | Tup
Series: July Prompts [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1812328
Comments: 3
Kudos: 31





	orders

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #2: Communication, Tup/Fives

Fives was a good listener.

Tup would like to think it’s because Fives cares about what he has to say, that he genuinely cares for him, but there’s the small part of him that whispers that he only feels _sorry_ for him. The poor Shiny who survived Umbara and lost their last batchmate in the process. He knows it’s not fair, knows that Fives is a _good person_ , but it’s hard, when Fives is... well, _Fives_ , and Tup is Tup.

Fives talks to _him_ , too, and Tup always listens with rapt attention as he tells him stories about the captain, about the war and, more frequently, about _Echo_.

Maybe that’s when he starts to doubt himself, when he starts to feel _less_ , but regardless, it seems to spiral from there. He doesn’t mind listening to Fives quietly recall his first _cyare_ , because Tup isn’t selfish, isn’t cruel enough to speak up and ruin a good thing.

It’s those nights, the nights spent curled up in the ARC quarters past lights out, that he enjoys the most. Fives, he comes to find, has a lot of stories, some told in great detail, and others so vague that Tup can barely imagine it in his minds eye.

He wouldn’t trade it for anything, though, because he’s _happy_ , even if he does take second place in Fives’ heart. He wonders if that’s when he started talking less and less and listening more and more, wonders if that’s when he started changing.

Tup doesn’t tell him about the headaches.

He supposes he should have, supposes that even going to _Kix_ would have been better than staying silent, but he handles it. Tries to. Avoids the ARC barracks at all costs. Curls up in his bunk and rubs his temples until they ache for an entirely different reason. It never helps, never seems to lessen the pain, and if anything, it grows.

But his love for Fives surpasses his own comfort. Worrying the ARC with his own simple, _unimportant_ pains would be unthinkable, so he gets good at hiding it. Lying comes easier, and so does sneaking pain pills from the injured brothers in the infirmary. Because Fives deserves better, especially after Echo. Tup just- he just has to be _enough_ , has to be fine so then _they_ can be fine.

That seems to fall apart, too, though. The pain stabbing at his eyes and hammering at his skull makes his tolerance slim to none, and he ends up snapping at the ARC more often than not, and the new strain on their already tedious relationship threatens to tear it apart. Tup can’t have that, either, so he tries harder, makes an effort to initiate touch, and Fives always looks so _happy_ , so _content_ when he does. He grits his teeth and bears it.

Fives corners him one day, expression vulnerable and eyes wide with worry. “You would tell me if anything was wrong, right?”

Tup manages a smile at that, and he wants to _cry_ when Fives returns it. The lie tastes bitter on his tongue. “Of course. Don’t worry about me.”

Fives leaves it at that and seems to forget all about it. Tup wonders how everyone was so oblivious, because he knows that he’s struggling to keep up the facade, his performance slipping along with his resolve.

And then Fives asks him, when they’re with Tiplar and his head is _splitting_. “Hey, you alright?”

“Yeah,” His throats dry, his tongue heavy, and just the thought of facing more clankers was enough to make his eyes ache in protest, and he reaches up to rub at his head. “I- I just-“

Fives suddenly slaps his arm away, scoffing, and Tup would deck him if he wasn’t so fucking _surprised_. “C’mon, this is a textbook battle. We’ve run through this a _million_ times before in training.”

Tup can only stare at him, the stab of hurt worming it’s way through his system and digging in mercilessly. “Yeah, I- I know. I just- I don’t feel... like myself.”

_Haven’t for a while._

Fives almost sounds... angry, when he responds, like he’s daring Tup to elaborate. “What do you mean?”

And then he sees _her_.

_Traitor_.

“Jedi,” Comes out instead, because maybe his programming is just a little stronger than whatever the _fuck_ is going on with him. Fives grabs him and forces him to face him.

“Tup, what’s the matter with you?”

And then he can see again, the pressure in his chest loosening, and he blinks. “Uh- I- Nothing, nothing, I’m fine. C’mon, don’t wanna be left behind.”

Despite his obvious reluctance, Fives obeys, and Tup forces himself to continue on. He makes it, too, up until his vision whites out and his ears ring.

“Hey, _Tup_ , this isn’t the time to freeze up. Pull it together, we’re almost to the finish line. Come on.” Fives snaps from somewhere to his right, and Tup raises his blaster dutifully, giving his bucket a few hard hits to try and make the pain just- just _go away._

It doesn’t, and when he sees her again, the same pain flares, expands, snaps, and-

CT-5385 feels nothing.

He levels his blaster at the traitor, ignores the call of a name that’s not his own, and fires.

_Good soldiers follow orders._

**Author's Note:**

> this is actually more of the LACK of communication but i’m not going to beat a dead horse so angst it is


End file.
